We bought our house in France in 2008 in what we thought was a quiet village in Creuse. Now we realise that all the properties in the village are inhabited by young/youngish french families with the exception of four holiday homes, one of which is ours. It was lovely and quiet for the first few years but now one of the neighbours has found himself a French girlfriend with two boys around 14 years old, their barn is over the road from our house and they have been bought two off road bikes which they like to scream round the village on.
Now I know the live there, and I know we are a curiosity to them but they insist on riding back and forward infront of our house . We go out to avoisd them now which is not an ideal situation to be in on holiday. And to to it all they even spun their wheel on our grass. My French is not good but I did ask them to move , which they did but it now fills me with dread everytime I approach the village in case they are there.
Is there anything I can do, I dont want to cause bad feeling but I am also not prepared to suffer anylonger.
In short, deal with the problem in exactly the same way as if you were in the UK, USA, NZ, Germany, Italy, Spain etc the problem's the same where ever you live - speak to your neighbours! bonne chance ;-)
I think Angela is simply asking which is the best way to approach the subject. I don't see any unwillingness or refusal to integrate, simply a person who is trying to find a solution to something causing them annoyance.
Most of the advice on this subject is good however it seems to be wrapped up in some kind of "My country is better than your country" argument.
I'd say follow the advice, speak with your neighbours, get to know them, develop a relationship and I am sure things will take their natural course from there.
Dont kknow what you mean by 'tone'. I was only asking the correct way to go about stopping kids doing wheelies on my garden on off road motor bikes. Your tone however is very judgemental something I was trying to avoid with my neighbours.
i agree with Roger.... but will say this.. if you have bought and moved into a home without integrating at all, and look upon all your neighbours as "the French", or the outsiders, you will have a very hard time.
By your tone, I assume you don't interact with them a lot.
you moved to France for what?? You need to rethink that. France is so rich in so many things, one is their bizarre style of hospitality, and their appreciation, once welcomed, of a foreign hospitality. Get to know these people, and the "problems" will improve
First of all, I agree with Annie and Marie-Claude.
BUT, if you haven't tried to speak to them yet, you still might be able to try a few things.
Bring them a nice cake and explain that one of you suffers from terrible headaches (that no one can cure), and that you would be very grateful if the kids "could make a bit less noise" with their bikes (maybe by pushing them around the corner before starting : these bikes are quite light)... Or maybe try to get closer to the mother by asking how she happens to make so wonderful... whatever.
Or, when the sun will shine again, you could invite some neighbors to an "apéritif" (with snacks). By not being strangers any more, there is chance that the ones from "over the road" will accept to be more considerate and respectful. And you might also meet some other neighbors that are also bothered by the noise.
This might not work with idiot selfish neighbors. But, it's always good to be nice before opening hostilities.
@ Lisa : Can you remind me where the word 'hooligan' originated from ?... Oh, yes. That's right. ;-)
Go and have a chat with your Mayor they have a lot of influence / power......... if they are incomers to the village and arrived after you the Mayor should be sympathetic ..........
Off road bikes are not meant for use near villages and if the laws haven't changed, at 14 they're too young to ride them anyway. If they don't stop, after you've asked them to, I'd advise telling them that the matter will be out of your hands very soon as you are informing the authorities.
If you have tried speaking to the parents and have been ignored, I would speak to the police municipale at the Mairie. Good luck. Selfish neighbours can make one's life a misery.